Every year endless queues at supermarkets, nerve-racking traffic jams and omnipresent discount offers mark pre-Ramadan and initial Ramadan days. This year is no different, despite inflationary challenges topping everyone's concerns. However, going by the crowds at supermarkets and malls here, one can tell that inflationary trends do not have much effect on the common man. Abdulrezak M.Saad, assistant executive director of a popular chain of supermarkets said pre-Ramadan and Ramadan shopping is a ‘culture' in the Kingdom. “Most shoppers shop for grocery items, crockery, and toiletry in the first few days of Ramadan, to be used throughout the month,” he said. “Usual confectionary like pasta, oats, juices, etc are suddenly hyped as ‘Ramadan items'; it's just that there is greater demand for them during this month,” he said. Oil, juices, oats, vermicelli, rice, milk, gram flour, dates and pasta are among some foods touted as Ramadan items. However, most sales are limited to grocery items and essential commodities, while sales of luxury items are hard to find. “Many malls have not had any noticeable increase in special sales, while supermarkets, which are also located in malls, remain the hub of all activity,” said Mohammad Zaid Al-Yafei, deputy manager Serafi Megamall. The Kingdom's inflation hit a new high of 11.1% mainly due to an increase in food and housing costs, while the cost of living index settled at 117.3 points on July 31, compared to that of 105.6 points last year, according to the latest statistics. Instances of foreign workers leaving the Kingdom due to the high prices of consumer goods and the increase in house rents have been reported, while it has also been reported that about three million Saudis returned to the Kingdom to spend their Ramadan here. “Inflation is everywhere, but I feel that it is not so high here,” said Abdullah Khaled, a Saudi. Abdulrezak said that inflation, in fact, also has a positive aspect. “Because of the high costs of living here, many people who did not go outside the Kingdom are spending money in the local markets which is beneficial to local business,” he said. Mehmood Habeeb, owner of a supermarket, said sales at his supermarket have gone down slightly, and that a difference in customer pattern was apparent. “The price of essential commodities, such as, rice, oil, and milk powder has increased by 100 percent due to a corresponding increase in international prices ,” he said adding that most people are no longer ‘brand conscious' now. “Earlier, those preferring to buy only a particular brand, of say, corn oil, now do not mind opting for a lesser known brand of vegetable oil, if it is cheaper,” he said. “Do we have an option?” asks Azeem Jaan, an Asian driver. “We bachelors live together and share our food expenses which is better than living with a family. But with hotels increasing their food prices as well, it has become very difficult,” he said. Mehmood, however, foresees stability in prices in the coming days. “The JCCI (Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry) has adopted a system of checks and balances; this should limit those wholesalers who sell products at high prices to retailers,” he said adding that the prices of some commodities have already decreased by 5 to 10 percent. According to both supermarket officials, supermarkets maintain a cost margin of less than 5 percent, because of which the customer is to a great extent unaffected by inflation, and the store does not incur any loss itself. Some believe that the concept of ‘fasting and not feasting' in the month of Ramadan needs to be reintroduced. “It has become a fashion to spend money in the name of fasting by having parties and get-togethers, and ‘holy picnics' to Makkah and Madina; this has never happened in the history of Islam,” said Mohammed Akhil of the Jeddah Dawah Center. He said that supermarkets and food stores employ marketing tactics to cash in on the Ramadan shopping culture of local people. “The Holy Quran's message to all is that of taqwa (piety) and abstention in Ramadan,” he said. __
